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Your go-to guides for scams advice

Australia’s go-to guides to scam prevention are in easy reach

New research commissioned by ING Australia reveals nearly half (46%) of Aussies admitting they’ve already fallen for a scam and/or fraud – and 49% believing they will in the future! – it’s nice to know there are some trusted sources you can turn to help spot a scam before they find you.

1. Consult your friendly Scambassador

Sure, you mightn’t think of asking a Millennial for music or fashion advice. But when it comes to scams advice, they’re the most relied-on generation in Australia.

In fact, 38% of Millennials identify as a ‘Scambassador’ – someone family and friends turn to for scams advice. While at the same time, 7 in 10 of Aussies say they turn to Scambassadors because they trust them and know they won’t judge them for their lack of scams savviness.

How to spot a Millennial

Millennials are people born between approximately 1980 and 1994. So today they’d be around 30 to 45-years-old. Also called Gen Y, Millennials get their name because they were the first generation to reach adulthood in the new millennium.

Even better, Millennials are happy to help.

Thanks to their confidence, awareness and tech smarts, 64% of Millennial Scambassadors feel a responsibility to protect their family and friends from scams and 94% feel confident in their ability to help loved ones identify and avoid scams.

2. Get the ING Pocket Guide to Scam Prevention

Despite the help of the nation’s Scambassadors, however, 33% of Aussies say they still don’t know where to go for trusted information and education on scams.

That’s why ING has developed the ING Pocket Guide to Scam Prevention.

It encourages all Aussies to stop, reflect and protect yourself from scams by staying up to date with the latest scams and know what to do if you find yourself a victim.

3 steps to spot scams before they find you

Stop. Before sharing details or money, take a breather to assess if you
really know or trust who’s asking.
Reflect. Ask yourself: ‘Could this website, message or call be fake?’
Protect. Don’t wait to act if things seem fishy – don’t proceed and if you’re an ING customer and notice unusual activity on your account, place your card on hold in the ING app and call our 24/7 scams line on 1800 052 74.

Get guide

More tips and tools for avoiding scams are also available at ing.com.au/security, Scamwatch and Money Smart.

Research was commissioned by ING Australia and undertaken online by YouGov between 5-7 February 2024 with a nationally representative sample of 1,063 Australians aged 18 years and older. The figures are representative of Australians aged 18 years and older. Following the completion of interviewing, the data was weighted by age, gender and region to reflect the latest ABS population estimates.
Additional data:
1. To stay informed on the latest scam and/or fraud trends, 54% of Aussies turn to friends and family more than any other resource, closely following traditional media (59%)
2. Close to all (95%) Aussies also say if they were in a situation where they thought they were being scammed and were concerned about the potential for financial loss, they would want to immediately seek advice or assistance.

[1] Based on proportion of Aussies who have said they have someone they would turn to/have turned to for advice on scams

ING does not endorse and is not affiliated with third parties mentioned in this article. ING is not responsible for any services provided by third parties nor does ING accept any liability or responsibility arising in any way from any products or services supplied by the third parties.

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